Method of producing finished shapes of manganese steel.



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WINFIELD S. POTTER, 0F MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 MANGANESE STEEL RAIL .COMPANY, OF MAHWAH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD OF PRODUCING FINISH ED SHAPES 0F MANGANESE STEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1909.

lo Drawing. Application filed Kay 8, 1908, Serial No. 315,881. Renewed January 31, 1907. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WINFIELD S. Po'rrnn, a citizen of the United States, residin' at Mahwah, in the county o;t Ber on and tate of New Jersey, have invente certain new and useful Im rovements in Methods of Producing Finished Shapes of Manganese Steel; and I do declare the followin to be a full, clear, and exact description 0 the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appe'rtains to make and use the same.

Manganese steel is a material which may be given great toughness, hardness and resistance to abrasion, by subjecting it to suitable heat-treatment. It is therefore especially suited for the production of rails for railways. Heretofore, however, it has been found impossible to roll manganese steel into rails or other sha es, on account of the fact that the metal lac s cohesion when hot, so that the cast in ct is crushed into ieces instead of being e ongated when subyected to the action of rolls. Such rails as are now in use are therefore produced by casting the metal in molds.

The present invention relates to a method of producing finished shapes from manganese steel, whereby an ingot may be made -sufficiently coherent to elongate without crushing in the rolling or shaping thereof.

The method, generally stated, consists in heating the ingot, preferably in successive .to a high temperature, cooling the heate ingot to a lower temperature, and rolling it, preferably in two stages, the ingot being first heated to a low temperatureand subjected to the action of roughing and compressing rolls, and then heated to a high temperature and rolled to finished shape, with an intermediate reheating if necessary.

The rolled product is then quenched, from a suitable temperature, to give it the requisite tou hnese.

T e preferred complete mode of procedlll'B is as follows: An in ct is cast, large end downward, in a mold o the usual form, the molten steel being preferably introduced into the mold throu h a fire-brick runner, to decrease iping. 'I he ingot is then slowly and eve y heated, preferably standing on end and in a reducing atmosphere, for exampleto a temperature between 735 C. and 980 C.,and specifically to about 870 C. The

temperature is then rapidly raised to from 995 C. to l065 (1., specifically to about 1040 0., at approximatelywhich temperatnre the metal becomes tender and is liable to crack it further heated rapidly, and from this point the metal is slowly heated to the maximum temperature permissible, between 1065 C. and 1260 C., specifically to about 1205 C. This high temperature gives a uniform molecular structure to the steel, removing se egation and apparently causing the partic es of steel to weld together or firmly cohere. The hot ingot is now subjected to an annealing treatment, by being cooled. This cooling is preferabl effected in a nonoxidizing atmosphere, the temperature being first slowly reduced to avoid rupture and then quickly lowered until recrystallization is complete, which occurs at between 650 C. and 705 C. This annealing step is of especial importance, cooperating with the high temperature previously used to produce even crystallization, high cohesion and uniform structure. The annealed ingot is now reheated toa low temperature sufiicient' to enable it to be roughrolled and compressed, dependent on the size of the ingot and power of the rolls and ranging from 870 C. to 1065 C. or upward. The initial rolling-is preferably effected by .Gothic rolls, the reduction in the first few passes being very slight, for example onefourth inch in the firsttwo passes, on each side, for a twelve-inch ingot. The bloom is now reheated to the maximum temperature that is to the temperature to which it was originally heated, say from 1065 C. to 1205 (1., and rolled to finished shape. In reheating, the ingot should lie on its side and should be turned through an angle of 180 several times to insure even heating. The rails should be sawed to length and punched for fish-plate bolts while hot from the rolls. The rails are now subjected to a quenching operation, either direct from the rolls, if sufiiciently hot, or after reheating. The rails should be arranged base downward in the reheating furnace, andshould thence be drawn into a suitable rack capable of being submerged in water.

The process as described is capable of modification in two particulars, as follows: The ingots may be taken direct from the molds to a soaking pit, wherein their temperature will become equalized. The slow pre liminary heating to a temperature between 735 0. and 930 0. as heretofore mentioned may then be omitted; for example, if the ingot is taken direct from the mold with its center say at a temperature of from 1300 C. to 1200 0., and having a skin temperature of say 1000 0. to 900 0., it may be placed in the soaking it wherein the tem peratures will be ua ized, for example at 1205 0., preferaby not above 1260 0.,

and as the mass is relatively coherent at this temperature, and has not been permitted to crystallize, it is obvious that the cooling or annealing step may be omitted. In some instances, and especially with small ingots, the initial rough-rolling may be omitted, the ingots being rolled toa finish in one heat, the cooling or annealing step being omitted as above described, the ingot, in such instance, being taken direct from the mold to the soakin pit wherein its temperatures become equa ize and is then taken to the rolls. This necessitates exact heating, accurate rolls and slight reductions in the first few. passes, for example one-eighth inch in a four inch ingot at a temperature of 1095 0., using rolls with a Gothic pass. On the other hand, the reduction of large ingots" to small shapes, especially to thin sheets, may necessitate intermediate reheating of the bloom during the shaping.

The coolin of the ingot for annealing and that of the ished product for toughening may be effected by subjecting the metal to the action of steam. In eneral, however, it is preferred to anneal either in the heating furnace'or in the air; and to quench in water. Small ingots may be annealed by quenching in water.

While the reduction of the ingots by means of rolls, only, has been described, it

will heunderstood that a hammer or press may be employed, if preferred. claim 1. The method of producing finished shapes from manganese steel which consists in slowly heating the ingot from a temperature between 995 0. and 1065 0., to the maximum temperature and until the temperatures thereof are equalized, then slightly reducing-said ingot, and then shaping.

2. The method of producing finished sha s from manganese steel which consists in s owly heating an ingot in a reducing atmosphere from a temperature between 995 0. and 1065 0. to the maximum temperature and until the temperatures of the mass are equalized, then slightly reducing the ingot, and then shaping 1t.

3. The process of producing finished shapes from manganese steel which consists in evenly heating the ingot in a reducin atmosphere from approximatel 104=O to approximately 1205' 0., coo ing the ingbt until recrystallization is complete, reheating the ingot to the maximum temperature, then subjecting the ingot to slight reductions and then shaping it.

4. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in evenly heating the ingot from temperatures above 10et0 0. to the maxi mum temperature, cooling, reheating and shaping.

5. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in evenly heating the ingot from temperatures above 1040 0. to the maximum temperature, cooling, reheating, compressing and shaping. I

6. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots ofmanganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to a temperature above 705 0., rapidly heating to a somewhat higher temperature, slowly heating to the maximum temperature, co0ling until recrystallization is'domplete, reheating and shaping.

7. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to a temperature above 705'0., rapidly heating to a somewhat higher temperature, slowl heating to the maximum temperature, coo ing until recrystallization is complete, re heating, compressing and shaping.

8. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to a temperature between 735 0. and 930 0., rapidly heating to from 995 0. to 1065 0., slowly heating to from 1065 0. to 1260 0., coolin reheating, compressin 9. The method 0 shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to a temperature between 735 0. and 930 0., rapidly heating to from 995 0. to 1065 0., slowly heating to from 1065 C. to 1260 0., slowly cooling to a temperature approximating 705 0., quickly cooling until recrystallization is complete, reheating, compressing and shaping.

1 10. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to about 870 0., rapidly heating to about 1040 0.,

and shaping.

slowly heating to about 1205" 0., cooling ununtil recrystallization is complete,

producing finished til recrystallization is complete, reheating,

compressing and shaping.

11. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to about 870 0., rapidly heating to about 104=0 0., slowly heating to about 1205 0., slowly cooling to about 7 05 0., quickly coolinguntil recrystallization is complete, reheating, compressing and shaping.

12. The method of producing finished shapes from ingots of manganese steel, which consists in providing an ingot heated to a temperature above 1205 0., cooling, reheating to a low temperature, compressing, he'atto a somewhat higher temperature, slowly heating to the maximum temperature, slowly cooling to a temperature above 705 0., quickly cooling until recrystallization is complete, reheating to a low temperature,

shapes from ingots o compressing,- heating to a high temperature and. shaping.

15-. The method of producing finished manganese steel, which consists in slowly heating the ingot to a temperature above 705 0., rapidly heat-- ing toa somewhat higher temperature, slowly heating to the maximum temperature, cooling until recrystallization is complete, reheating, compressing, shaping and quenching the finished shape from a suitable temperature.

16. The method of shapes from ingots o manganese steel, which consists in evenly heating aningot to a temperature sufficient toremove segregation and cause the particles of steel to cohere, cooling, reheating and shaping. 17. The method r of shapes from ingots o manganese steel, which consists in evenly heating an ingot to a temperature sufiicient to remove segregation and cause the particles of steel to firmly cohere, lightly working the metal, and then shaping it.

18. The method of fproducing finished shapes from ingots "o manganese steel, whlch consists in evenly heating an ingot, in a reducing atmosphere, to. a temperature sufiicient to remove segregation and cause the particles of steel to cohere, lightly 'workv I in presence 0 two witnesses.

ing the,metal, and shaplng.

19. The hereinbefore described method of heat treatment of; ingots of manganese steel, 3

which consists in heating the ingot to a maximum temperature 0 about 1260 0.,

fproducing finished tproduoing finished cooling the same until;recrystallization is complete, reheating, andfthen reducing it.

20. The method of roducing finished shapes from ingots o m 'anganese steel, .which'consists in slowly and evenly heating the ingot in a reducing atmosphere to a temperature approximating 930 0., then rapidly raising the temperature to approximately 1065 0., then slowly up to a temtemperaturebetween 995 0. and 1065 0.

to temperatures between 1065 C. and 1260 0., and subsequently shapin the metal.

23. The method of pr ucing finished shapes from manganese steel'which consists inrapidly. heating the body'of metal to a predetermined temperature, then slowly heating the metal to the maximum temperature, and subsequently shaping it. 24. The method of producing finished shapes from manganese steel which consists in heating. the body of metal to the maximum temperature, cooling the metal to the temperature where recrystallization is ,complete, immediately reheating the metal from such temperature, and then shaping it.

"25. The method of treating] manganese steel which comprises heating the body "of metal to the maximum temperature, 'then slowly cooling the same to a predetermined crystallization is complete.

- 26. The method of treatin manganese steel, in which the metal 'is su 'jected while hot to the action .of st'eam, whereby to anneal and toughen the same.

27. The method. of producing finished,

shapes from manganesesteel, which consists in heating the metal to the maximum temperature, then cooling the same b sub- -ject1ng itto the. action of steam, .an sub-- sequently shaping it. I p

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

WINFIELD s. POTTER; Witnesses;

' HUGH M. S'rnmNo, 

